DASA looks for ideas to improve security in Open Call competition

Homeland December 23, 2019

DASA is looking for innovative ideas to improve security and UK defence as part of an Open Call competition.

Ideas to improve security can be submitted under the categories of Emerging Innovations or Rapid Impact. The first covers less mature innovations and the second is for more developed ideas.

Submissions can be in the form of technology, services, or concepts at varying levels of development. The Open Call addresses issues faced by government stakeholders and allows ideas to be submitted at any time.

Security innovations should apply to the following areas and can be submitted under either Emerging Innovations or Rapid Impact:

Finding suspected threats on passengers during airport screening
Matching passengers with their x-ray trays during airport screening
Improving aviation cargo screening speed
Assistive technology for rail staff
Screening train carriages.

The Open Call competition exists to offer suppliers the opportunity to present their ideas to defence and security stakeholders. In contrast to a Themed Competition, which is a customer-pull or customer sponsored activity, the Open Call is a supplier-push activity.

Proof of concept might include component and/or sub-system validation in laboratory-style environment. Successful projects may be candidates for follow-on funding in the Rapid Impact Innovation category, although other funding opportunities may be available.

The majority of successful projects start at TRL 2 or 3, which means the basic concept has been formulated and the underpinning technological principles observed are at the outset. Proposals can only be submitted through the DASA online submission service which can be found here.

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airport security competition DASA Development funding proof-of-concept technology